Factors influencing child abuse and neglect behaviour by social workers in the 'Northern Province, South Africa

Abstract

Recent media reports (Sunday Times (Insight), 28 Feb. 1999:19; Sowetan , 29 Jan. 1997 :9; Sowetan, 2 Oct. 1997:5; Sowetan, 31 Oct. 1997:6 and Sowetan , 20 Oct. 1997:4) and police records reflect a disturbing increase in reports of abuse of children in South Africa. South African Police Services Child Protection Units and specialized individual officers (e .g. social workers in child welfare societies and government's welfare departments) dealt with 28 482 child abuse cases in 1995 (National Programme of Action 1997). During 1995-1996 officially reported cases of sexual crimes against children in South Africa demonstrated an increase in
Rape (38%), Sodomy (35%) , and Incest (15%) (Department of Welfare 1996/1997).  Apart from abuse at home, at school, and in the neighbourhood, child abandonment, child labour and the commercial sexual exploitation of children are widespread problems . In the Northern Province 1807 children were abandoned, 806 sexually abused, 841 neglected and 1742 experienced other forms of abuse in 1996. Reported crimes against children increased by 11 , 7 % between 1993 and 1996 (ibid . ). However, some caution must be exercised in interpreting the statistics , as undoubtedly only a very small percentage of crimes against children reported has been reported. Underreporting and the lack of systematic research , record keeping and a central register make figures difficult to estimate.